This invention relates to a brush reforming apparatus for a toothbrush, which reforms a deformed brush portion of a toothbrush having been used numerous times.
Using a toothbrush for numerous times causes plastic deformation of a brush portion, and not only will teeth be prevented from being effectively brushed, but in some cases may even effect one""s gum when the brush portion is deformed to a point unbearable for use. Accordingly, the user purchases a new toothbrush whenever necessary. However, the bristles comprising a brush portion of a toothbrush are mostly molded with synthetic resin. Therefore, it is known that a plastic deformed brush portion can be reformed by heating the brush portion with boiled water (or hot water having a relatively high temperature), and then cooling the brush portion with cold water, in a case when the brush portion is formed from synthetic resin.
An apparatus, which has a spring member binding substantially the entire body of a brush portion from the distal end of a toothbrush, and a fixing member for fixing the spring member with the distal end of the brush portion, can be given as a conventional example of an apparatus for reforming a brush portion of a toothbrush, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. Sho58-152136, Sho59-38833, and Hei7-3361. Another apparatus, which has a reforming apparatus body for binding substantially the entire body of a brush portion from the distal end of a toothbrush, and an openable operating means being integrally formed to the reforming apparatus body, is also shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei7-289356. Accordingly, in each of the foregoing conventional reforming apparatuses, a brush portion of a toothbrush is bound by the spring member or the reforming apparatus body, the brush portion is then applied with boiled water or steeped into hot water, and the brush portion is then cooled with cold water, thereby, the brush portion of the toothbrush is reformed back to a state similar to a state prior of it""s use.
Toothbrushes, meanwhile, exist in a vast variety of shapes and sizes, and various toothbrushes have been developed with consideration of usage by adults and children, different preferences of use, different brushing performance, etc. More particularly, the use of electric toothbrushes has spread in recent years.
Nevertheless, according to each of the above-described conventional reforming apparatuses (brush reforming apparatuses for a toothbrush), since the spring member or the reforming apparatus body for binding the brush portion of the toothbrush are formed in a single predetermined shape, the spring member or the reforming apparatus body requires preparation of a reform apparatus for each corresponding toothbrush in order to be used upon various brush portions of toothbrushes. That is, a vast variety of reforming apparatuses corresponding to every each shape of a toothbrush, size or length of a brush portion are required to be manufactured. Consequently, an increase in manufacturing cost is unavoidable, and a vast variety of reforming apparatuses are required to be purchased even for an average family of 3 or 4 members.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to solve the foregoing problems by providing a brush reforming apparatus for a toothbrush, which is able to reform in correspondence with the sizes of the brush portions for a vast variety of toothbrushes at an inexpensive manufacture cost.
The first invention of this application (invention described in claim 1) is a brush reforming apparatus for a toothbrush comprising: a toothbrush supporting body having; a supporting portion supporting at least a bottom surface of a distal end of a toothbrush; and one or two guiding groove portion(s) or one or two guiding elongated slot(s) being formed above the distal end of the toothbrush supported by the supporting portion; and a binding body having a belt-like shape, the binding body being inserted through the one or two guiding groove portion(s) or the one or two guiding elongated slot(s), and the binding body being bent at a center of the binding body into a U letter, a V letter, or a rectangular C letter shape. According to the first invention, a distal end of a toothbrush is supported by a supporting portion formed to a toothbrush supporting body, and a binding body is moved in a direction toward the distal end of the toothbrush or in a direction opposite from the distal end of the toothbrush, thereby, a brush portion of a toothbrush is bound by the binding body. Accordingly, the first invention can bind a brush with extreme ease and quickness, and provide binding whether a brush portion of a toothbrush is long or short. In a state where a brush is bound by the toothbrush reforming apparatus, a method, for example, in which the toothbrush reforming apparatus is applied with boiled water or steeped into hot water, and then cooled by cold water or the like, allows the brush to be reformed into an ideal state.
The second invention (invention described in claim 2) is a brush reforming apparatus for a toothbrush comprising: a toothbrush supporting body having; one supporting portion supporting at least a bottom surface of a distal end of a toothbrush; other supporting portion being formed opposite to a position where the one supporting portion is formed, the other supporting portion supporting at least the bottom surface of the distal end of the toothbrush, and the other supporting portion supporting from at a position above or below a supporting position of the one supporting portion; and one or two guiding groove portion(s) or one or two guiding elongated slot(s) being formed between the one supporting portion and the other supporting portion, and being formed above the distal end of the toothbrush supported by the one supporting portion or the other supporting portion; and an endless binding member having a belt-like shape and being inserted through the one or two guiding groove portion(s) or the one or two guiding elongated slot(s). According to the second invention, a toothbrush supporting body is formed with one supporting portion for supporting a distal end of a toothbrush and another supporting portion also for supporting the distal end of the toothbrush, the one supporting portion and the other supporting portion are formed different in terms of the height for providing support, and a belt-like endless binding body is provided as a component of the invention, thereby, the second invention is not only able to reform a brush portion of various length as in the first invention, but is also able to reform a brush portion having a brush (bristles) of various height, in which the distal end of a toothbrush is supported by selecting either the one supporting portion or the other supporting portion for providing secure reformation.
The third invention (invention described in claim 3) is a brush reforming apparatus for a toothbrush according to the first or second invention, wherein the toothbrush supporting body has a supporting member formed with a supporting portion supporting at least a bottom surface of a distal end of the toothbrush, and a binding body supporting member being attachable to the supporting member while having the one or two guiding groove portion(s) or the one or two guiding elongated slot(s) formed thereto; and wherein the supporting member and the binding body supporting member are attached variably and adjustably for arranging a position of a supporting portion formed in the supporting member and a position of the one or two guiding groove portion(s) or the one or two guiding elongated slot(s) separate from or proximate to each other. According to the third invention, a toothbrush supporting body, which has a supporting member and a binding body supporting member being separated from each other, is formed to be variably adjustable by arranging a supporting portion of the supporting member proximal to or distal to one or two guiding groove portions or a guiding elongated slot, thereby, as in the same manner as the second invention, the third invention is also able to reform a brush portion having a brush (bristles) of various height, in which the distal end of a toothbrush is supported by selecting either the one supporting portion or the other supporting portion for providing secure reformation.
The fourth invention (invention described in claim 4) is a brush reforming apparatus for a toothbrush comprising: a toothbrush supporting body having; a supporting portion having a plane shape molded into a substantially V letter shape, the supporting portion having an open side thereof being closable, the supporting portion supporting a bottom surface of a distal end of a toothbrush during a closed state; one guiding groove portion or one guiding elongated slot formed on one side of the open side; other guiding groove portion or other guiding elongated slot formed on the other side of the open side; and a binding body having a belt-like shape, the binding body being bent at a center thereof into an arc-like shape; the binding body having a midsection on one end thereof for insertion through the one guiding groove portion or the one guiding elongated slot; and the binding body having a midsection on the other end thereof for insertion through the other guiding groove portion or the other guiding elongated slot. According to the fourth invention, a distal end of a toothbrush is inserted from an open side of an opened toothbrush supporting body; the opened side of the toothbrush supporting body is then closed, and a belt-like binding body is then operated to a direction opposite from the distal end of the toothbrush, thereby, a brush (bristles) of the toothbrush can be bound. Accordingly, as in the same manner as the first invention, this fourth invention can also provide secure binding of a brush.
The fifth invention (invention described in claim 5) is a brush reforming apparatus for a toothbrush according to the first, second, third, or fourth invention, wherein the one or two guiding groove(s) or the one or two guiding elongated slot(s) has or have an arc-like or wave-like shape in which the binding body or the endless binding body is inserted therethrough, or the one or two guiding groove(s) or the one or two guiding elongated slot(s) has a protrusion formed at a wall thereof or the toothbrush supporting body has a horizontal rod formed at a front surface thereof and the binding body or the endless binding body has a recessed groove or an elongated slot formed thereto to allow insertion of the protrusion or the horizontal rod through the recessed groove or the elongated slot.
According to the fifth invention, the one or two guiding groove(s) or the one or two guiding elongated slot(s) has or have an arc-like or wave-like shape in which the binding body or the endless binding body is inserted therethrough, or the one or two guiding groove(s) or the one or two guiding elongated slot(s) has a protrusion formed at a wall thereof or the toothbrush supporting body has a horizontal rod formed at a front surface thereof and the binding body or the endless binding body has a recessed groove or an elongated slot formed thereto to allow insertion of the protrusion or the horizontal rod through the recessed groove or the elongated slot, thereby, the fifth invention prevents the bristles of a brush from being caught into the guiding groove or the guiding elongated slot in operating with the binding body or the endless binding body and provide secure reformation.
The sixth invention (invention described in claim 6) is a brush reforming apparatus for a toothbrush comprising: a binding body or an endless binding body having a belt-like shape, and a midsection bent in an arc-like shape to form an arc-like portion; a supporting portion being fixed proximate to the arc-like portion of the binding body or the endless binding body, and supporting at least a bottom surface of a distal end of a toothbrush; and a moving member being movable in a direction toward the supporting portion or a direction opposite from the supporting portion while being guided by the binding body or the endless binding body, the moving member being formed with an elongated slot or a groove portion for inserting the binding body or the endless binding body therethrough. According to the sixth invention, a moving member moves in association with the binding body for binding the brush; accordingly, the thus structured invention can also provide secure binding of a brush.